Re-Melting LLA's bullets?

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Last Post 27 November 2014

CBA Member

offhand35 posted this 07 June 2014

Has anyone re-melted alox coated bullets that they decided they weren't going to use? Or did you remove the alox with paint thinner or solvent first?

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20 Comments

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Standard Member

Pigslayer posted this 07 June 2014

Yes I have & it makes a mess of one's pot. At least it did mine. I suggest doing it outside in an old cast iron pot or something you don't mind getting dirty. Wouldn't do it in my bottom pour again.

Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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CBA Member

gpidaho posted this 07 June 2014

As Pat says, it will give you a REAL good excuse to clean that pot.GP

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CBA Member

offhand35 posted this 07 June 2014

Hmmm....maybe I will soak them in paint thinner to clean them and let them sit for a year to dry....it would not do to throw them into the mix with paint thinner residue on them :caution:

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CBA Member

gpidaho posted this 07 June 2014

LOL or you could wash them with acetone and dry them in a toaster oven that should be memorable. Just kidding for CS don't do that. That might quite resemble a triple charge in an old Colt GP

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CBA Member

.22-10-45 posted this 07 June 2014

Still waiting to hear what kind of mess those powder coated bullets will make?

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Standard Member

CB posted this 07 June 2014

What powder coated bullets? LLA refers to Lee Liquid Alox. I must have missed something.

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CBA Member

offhand35 posted this 07 June 2014

You are correct, I am referring to Lee Liquid Alox coated bullets. It is tenacious stuff after it has been dried on for a while.

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CBA Member

Duane Mellenbruch posted this 07 June 2014

I don't think you missed it, we have not got there yet. But it is going to happen, and someone will mention what a mess it is to deal with melting down powder coated bullets. I think it will be about like trying to melt some of those little isotope containers without cleaning the glue off them first. Duane

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Standard Member

csparks1106 posted this 12 June 2014

I had a bunch that I remelted in my bottom pour pot. Figured it would be about like flux. Sure did generate a bunch of smoke, but it didn't seem to mess up my pot. They were coated with straight alox, too. Not 45/45/10. Made a bunch of new bullets, and they seemed to be just fine. Good fill out and everything.

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CBA Member

offhand35 posted this 14 June 2014

I was wondering if the Alox would behave like smoky flux. That's why I asked if anyone had done it. Thaks!

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Standard Member

JSH posted this 14 June 2014

I melted a bunch a few years back. It made a mess. I rank the alox right there with lead sewer/drain pipes and WW from a dog infested neighborhood. The alox skims off but it stuck to my pot. I darn sure wouldn't melt it in my casting pot!
Not much difference than using a thunder mug for a drinking water ewer in my book. Jeff

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Standard Member

Airman Basic posted this 22 June 2014

Are y'all saying that it doesn't burn off like any other oily flux? Seems counter-intuitive. I've remelted the odd aloxed boolit or six and the lube didn't seem indestructible.

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Standard Member

onondaga posted this 22 June 2014

Alox usually leaves a substantial baked on carbon residue in melting pots. If your pot is closed bottom and not a bottom pour spout pot, you can boil dishwater in a closed bottom pot to easily clean Alox residue out.

Gary

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Standard Member

Airman Basic posted this 22 June 2014

Okay, I'll bite. Why can't you boil water in a bottom pour, my Pro-Melt, for example? Do they leak that bad?

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Standard Member

onondaga posted this 23 June 2014

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8182>Airman Basic

Well, I am not going to tell you to try boiling soapy water in a bottom pour pot. My common sense about water and electricity and bottom valves screams NO!

I would also bet that a good commercial high pressure steam cleaning gun would blast baked on carbon off an unplugged pot that could then be thoroughly dried before use. I sure had a great steam cleaning gun when I worked in a Dental Lab, but I don't have one now.

Gary

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CBA Member

offhand35 posted this 08 October 2014

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Standard Member

Michael K posted this 08 October 2014

Why don't we try thinking outside of the pot here. If one is going melt down some LLA coated bullets (tar babies may be a good description based upon the residue that is left). Why not just save them until it is time to melt down a batch of WWs. Melt the WWs leaving the clips in the pot, dump in the TBs and let melt. Would not a good amount of the residual goo find itself attaching to the clips and the other debris as the TBs melt? Don't stir or flux, skim the clips, stems, cig butts, etc. before fluxing. Just a thought. So what if there is a little extra tin or antimony in the new batch of alloy.

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Standard Member

afish4570 posted this 24 October 2014

offhand35 wrote: Has anyone re-melted alox coated bullets that they decided they weren't going to use? Or did you remove the alox with paint thinner or solvent first?

I throw the rejected or shot LLA bullets recovered from the burm back into my large smelting pot. Have enough junk to skim off and never noticed anymore to skim off than usual. Never put any that I can remember into my Lee bottom pour. If I did don't remember any messes because of the small qty. added ....afish4570

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CBA President

John Alexander posted this 24 October 2014

I am sure that I have melted thousands of bullets with the old NRA formula lube ("Alox” and beeswax) and never noticed. There are obviously different kinds of Alox. The old sometimes used to have a number after Alox. John